“You can’t terrify me with your threats, Colonel Leech,” he said, calmly. “I served with my master through the war.”
“If you don’t tell, I’ll send you to jail; that’s what I’ll do.”
“You have already sent better gentlemen there,” said the old servant, quietly, and with a dignity that floored the other completely. Leech remembered suddenly Hiram Still’s warning to him long ago, “With these quality niggers, you can’t do nothin’ that way.”
He suddenly tried another course, and began to argue with Tarquin. It was his duty to the Government which had set him free, and would pay handsomely. Tarquin met him again.
“Colonel Leech, my master offered me my freedom before the war, and I wouldn’t take it. You may get some poor creatures to betray with such a bribe, but no gentleman will sell himself.” He bowed. Leech could not help enjoying the scowl that came on McRaffle’s face. But the old man was oblivious of it.
“I have voted with the Government since we were free, because I thought it my duty; but I tell you now, suh, what you are doin’ to-day will hurt you mo’ than ’twill help you. What you sow, you’ve got to reap.”
“Ah, pshaw!” sneered Leech, “I don’t believe you know where Captain Allen is?”
“I told you I did not,” said the old man, with unruffled dignity.
Leech saw that it was useless to try him further in that direction, and, thinking that he might have gone too far, he took out his pocket-book.
“Here; I was just testing you,” he said, with a well-feigned smile. He extracted a dollar note and held it out.